Meso-erythritol crystals are white, have a molecular weight of 122 and a melting point of 119.degree. C., and exhibit high water solubility, non-digestability, and nonbrowning properties.
Meso-erythritol exists in natural algae, mushrooms, etc. and also, in small contents, in Japanese sake, wines, soybean souce, etc. According to organoleptic tests, meso-erythritol has a sweet taste slightly weaker than sucrose and slightly stronger than glucose. Its sweetness corresponds to about 75 to 80% of that of sucrose. It tastes sweet like sucrose but its aftertaste is not so strong as left by sucrose.
Since crystals of meso-erythritol are so hard and brittle, the crystals or edges thereof are easily destroyed during transportation, resulting in deteriorated appearance, which means significant impairment of commercial values.
Meso-erythritol had been isolated from naturally occurring products in a small quantity, but a production process by fertilization has recently been estabilized as disclosed in JP-B-63-9831 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined published Japanese Patent Application"), JP-A-60-110295 to 110297 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined pablished Japanese patent application"). Further studies are being given to mass production of meso-erythritol.